Daily news | Books+Publishing

Sorrento Writers Festival announces full 2026 program

Monday, 9 February 2026
The Sorrento Writers Festival (SWF) has announced its 2026 festival program, running from 23 to 26 April 2026 in Sorrento, Victoria. This year's festival will feature over 180 speakers across...

Newcastle Poetry Prize shortlist announced

Thursday, 5 February 2026
The Hunter Writers’ Centre has announced the 2025 shortlist for the $15,000 Newcastle Poetry Prize. Shortlisted poets are: Ann-Marie Blanchard for “Medea with the Graceful Feet” Owen Bullock for “Systolic”...

Woollett and Twyford-Moore announced as KYD critics

Thursday, 5 February 2026
Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced Laura Elizabeth Woollett and Sam Twyford-Moore as two regular critics for the magazine. During 2026, Woollett and Twyford-Moore will each write and publish long-form...

Australia Reads forms not-for-profit with new board

Thursday, 5 February 2026
Australia Reads has become an independent not-for-profit organisation with a new board. The move comes after Writing Australia named Australia Reads as a delivery partner and granted funding of $300,000...

NewSouth acquires Tiffany novella

Tuesday, 3 February 2026
NewSouth has acquired Australian publishing rights to The Lady with the Dog, a new novella by Carrie Tiffany, with illustrations by Noel McKenna, in a deal with Curtis Brown literary agent...

Affirm acquires Katherine debut novel

Tuesday, 3 February 2026
Affirm Press has acquired world rights to Judith Katherine’s debut novel, Simply Beside Herself, described as “a warm, charming novel about reclaiming independence at every stage of life.” “When Elizabeth...

A&U acquires Spratt debut novel

Tuesday, 3 February 2026
Allen & Unwin has acquired world rights to The Followers, a debut novel by Maree Spratt. A&U described The Followers as “a keenly observed and darkly funny exploration of coming of...

TitlePage: recommendations, favourites drive seasonal sales

Tuesday, 3 February 2026
TitlePage’s subscriber engagement figures for December 2025 reflected the importance of word-of-mouth, seasonal habits and the continuing appeal of established favourites, reports the Australian Publishers Association (APA). The APA-run TitlePage...

QBD to open at Castle Towers after Alfie & Noa closure

Monday, 2 February 2026
QBD Books will open at Sydney’s Castle Towers Shopping Centre, replacing the Alfie & Noa Bookshop, which closed after a social media backlash. The shopping centre announced on Facebook that...

Aurealis Awards 2025 shortlists announced

Monday, 2 February 2026
The 2025 finalists in the Aurealis Awards, which recognise “the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers”, have been announced. Awards are presented across 15 categories: Best Children’s...

Ockham 2026 longlists announced

Thursday, 29 January 2026
The longlists for this year’s Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. The titles in each category are: Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction 1985 (Dominic Hoey, Penguin) All...

Australians shortlisted in 2026 Edgar Awards

Thursday, 29 January 2026
Australian authors are among the finalists in this year’s Edgar Allan Poe Awards, presented by Mystery Writers of America. Charlotte McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore (Penguin) was shortlisted for Best Novel,...

RMIT surveys book industry professionals

Tuesday, 27 January 2026
RMIT academics in the Master of Writing and Publishing program are researching the impact of postgraduate writing and publishing programs on the contemporary book industry and industry futures. As part...

Publishers, writers among Australia Day Honours

Tuesday, 27 January 2026
A number of authors, publishers and literary workers have been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours. Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division...

Hazel Rowley Fellowship shortlist announced

Thursday, 22 January 2026
Nine Australian writers have been shortlisted for this year’s $20,000 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship. Della Rowley, sister of the late biographer Hazel Rowley, said, “We had a record number of...

Local authors feature in UK and US shortlists

Thursday, 22 January 2026
Clark recognised on Duff Cooper shortlist In the UK, Oxford-based Australian historian Christopher Clark is among the finalists in the 2025 Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize. The prize recognises the...

Writing Australia announces 2026 VIPs

Thursday, 22 January 2026
Writing Australia has announced the 12 international publishing professionals participating in the 2026 Visiting International Publishers (VIPs) program. They will attend business meetings, networking events, industry forums, festival events and panel...

Survey of creative industries’ working conditions launched

Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Creative Workplaces has launched the Creative Workplaces Survey, a national research project to build the first comprehensive picture of working conditions across Australia’s creative industries. Created by the Australian Government...

A&U acquires book based on “The Inventors” series

Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Allen & Unwin has acquired world rights to a book based on the television documentary series The First Inventors, which was written and directed by Larissa Behrendt. The First Inventors...

Jones retires from Abbey’s

Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Bookseller Lindy Jones retired from her role at Abbey’s Bookshop on Friday, announced the Sydney-based bookstore. Abbey’s noted on Instagram that Jones’s retirement comes “after two and a half decades...

Claims of hypocrisy levelled over AWW as Abdel-Fattah invitation reissued

Monday, 19 January 2026
The new Adelaide Festival Board has invited Randa Abdel-Fattah to speak at the 2027 Adelaide Writers’ Week (AWW) and apologised “unreservedly for the harm the Adelaide Festival Corporation has caused...

Writing Australia announces North America Publishers’ Program delegates

Monday, 19 January 2026
Writing Australia, the literary arm of Creative Australia, has announced the participants of the North America Publishers’ Program. The delegates and their publishing houses are: Chren Byng, Hardie Grant Emma Dorph,...

Mildura Writers Festival director, board changes

Monday, 19 January 2026
The Mildura Writers Festival has announced the appointment of Finley Japp as the new festival director, replacing co-founder Donata Carazza who has been director for the past 5 years. Born...

Wiley acquires Judd’s debut

Monday, 19 January 2026
Wiley has acquired world rights to Caitlin Judd’s nonfiction title Good Girl, Goodbye: Rewrite Your Story, Reclaim Your Power, Build a Life You Love. According to the publisher, Good Girl,...

Creative Australia announces latest funding round

Monday, 19 January 2026
Literature organisations and individuals have received $10.6 million for 212 projects across dance, music, theatre, literature, First Nations, experimental and community arts in Creative Australia’s latest funding round. The literature...